The present invention relates to a unit installation tool for installing a unit (such as an air conditioner) to a vertical surface (such as a wall).
As shown in FIG. 8, an outdoor unit 51 of an individual type air conditioner accommodates many component devices, i.e. a heavy compressor 53 and other components in a box 52. Thus is done in order to decrease the number of components of the indoor unit (not shown) and to reduce the indoor units weight and size. Accordingly, the outdoor unit 51 is heavier than the indoor unit, and hence generally it is installed on a bench placed on the ground, verandah or roof, by making use of mounting bases 54 attached to the bottom. The mounting base 54 has a mounting hole 54a to the bench, and is bolted firmly. Depending on the case, however, if there is no space for placing the bench, the outdoor unit 51 is installed on the wall surface.
In such installation, hitherto, a stand 56 having a mounting part 55 to be mounted on the wall as shown in FIG. 8 is used.
However, in such a conventional method of installation, the stand 56 has mounting holes 56a corresponding to mounting holes 54a of the mounting bases 54 of the outdoor unit 51, and corresponding bolts 58 passing in them and nuts 59 to be engaged with these bolts 58 are tightened to provide support. Such a job is done, however, on an elevated place, and the mounting holes 54a at the heavy outdoor unit 51 side are desirably precisely aligned to the mounting holes 56a of the stand 56. Accordingly, this job is accompanied by heavy labor and is slow in progress. Or, when installing the outdoor unit 51 on a place remote from the ground, such as the wall of a high-rise building, a scaffold must be erected prior to installation, or the outdoor unit 51 must be lifted and suspended by a rope or the like, while such complicated job is done, which required much labor. If, by stretching out hands from the window, if the stand 56 can be mounted on the wall of the building beneath the window, since the installation job of the outdoor unit 51 on the stand 56 is mainly done in the bottom of the outdoor unit 51, the worker must go out of the window to reach beneath or ahead of the outdoor unit 51.
In order to do the installation job from within the window A, as shown in FIG. 5 to FIG. 7, it may be considered to use a hooking tool 42 having a mounting part 43 to the window opening B and a holding part 44 of the outdoor unit 41 extended laterally. That is, by mounting this hooking tool 42 on the window opening B by using bolts 49, in the holding part 44 of the hooking tool 42, an engaging part 46 provided in the upper part of the back side of the outdoor unit 41 is engaged from above to support it from beneath, and a rubber spacer 47 preliminarily adjusted in length in the longitudinal direction provided in the lower part of the back side 21 of the outdoor unit 41 in order to absorb vibration is fitted to the wall C to be stabilized. In such constitution, the installation is easy, and also by the vibration absorbing performance of the spacer 47 on the wall C, transmission of vibration of the outdoor unit 41 to the wall can be suppressed. Moreover, by mutually coupling tightening parts 45 provided at right and left sides of the holding part 44, and a tightening part 48 of the outdoor unit 41 side corresponding to the tightening parts 45 with bolts 50, it may be considered to install so that the engaging part 46 of the outdoor unit 41 may not be detached from the holding part 44.
However, when connecting the piping or wiring with the indoor unit after installing the outdoor unit 41 on the wall, depending on the place of installing the outdoor unit 41, if it is necessary to distribute the conduit (e.g. wiring or piping) to the right and left side of the outdoor unit 41, with this hooking tool 42, since the outdoor unit 41 is merely installed on the wall C, the piping or wiring is exposed above or beneath the outdoor unit 41. Therefore, it is exposed to rain and wind, and the appearance is spoiled.
Or, when using the hooking tool 42, during long-time use, the rubber-made spacer 47 deteriorates or deforms, and the action of suppressing transmission of vibration of the outdoor unit 41 to the wall C is lowered.
The invention relates to an outdoor unit installation tool for installing a unit such as a separate type air conditioner on a vertical member. An exemplary application is installing an outdoor unit of an individual air conditioner on a wall. The tool comprises a yoke fitted to the wall with bolts, and a support part extended forward from the yoke, for mounting the upper part of the back side of the outdoor unit on its leading end, in which the mounted outdoor unit is supported at an upward position by a specified extent from the support part, and a wiring and/or piping space is formed on the support part between the supported outdoor unit and the yoke or the wall on which it is mounted.
By first fitting this installation tool to a specified position of the wall at the yoke by using bolts, and then supporting the mounting part at the back side of the outdoor unit at the support part, the outdoor unit can be easily installed on a specified position of the wall. Later, if necessary to distribute the piping or conduit (e.g. wiring) to the right and left side of the outdoor unit, without exposing the piping or wiring above or beneath the outdoor unit in the appearance from the front side, it can be distributed in the piping and/or wiring space behind the outdoor unit. As a result, exposure of piping or wiring to rain and wind is lessened, and the appearance is improved.
In the constitution combined with a ceiling plate for covering the upper part of the piping and/or wiring space, since the range within the piping or wiring space is covered, exposure of piping or wiring to rain and wind is lessened more effectively, and the appearance from above is further improved.
In the constitution of using the ceiling plate which also covers above the outdoor unit, without increasing the number of parts or number of steps, the same effect and action as above are obtained.
In the constitution of disposing a recess for forming a space against the wall at the back side of the bolting portion of the yoke, the yoke is fitted to the wall with an elastic pressing force having a necessary pressing force by bolting and a low elasticity in the space formed against the wall. Accordingly, without using a rubber spacer, transmission of vibration of the outer unit supported on the support part to the indoor side through the wall can be reduced. Further, as compared with the use of rubber spacer or the like, this effect can be maintained for a longer period.